Chicago Craft Brewery Barrel Bus Tour
Description
There’s never been a better time to be a beer drinker — and Chicago, with its thriving brewery scene and many destination-worthy beer bars, is the perfect city for suds lovers. Visit three of its craft breweries on this all-inclusive, 3.5-4hour tour, where you’ll get to tour one brewery production facility and enjoy copious samples of local brews. To keep things interesting, you’ll travel in a barrel-shaped bus. Morning and evening departure times are both available.
Tour Options
Itinerary
We pick-up across the street from the Rainforest Cafe. Come up to The Barrel Bus and our Guide will get you checked-in.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Minimum age is 21 years
- Please note this experience has a minimum number of travelers required to operate. If the minimum is not met, you will be offered a tour at another time or a full refund.
- Closed Toe Shoes required in order to experience the production facility tour at one brewery.
Reviews(356)
The Barrel Run provided an exceptional experience. For my sister's 40th birthday, we arranged a private Prohibition Tour, which proved to be truly remarkable. Our tour guide, David, was an outstanding narrator whose extensive knowledge offered many new insights, even for those in our large group who reside in the Chicago area. Furthermore, Denise, who served as the primary point of contact for scheduling, was excellent; her communication was consistently thorough. I highly recommend The Barrel Run for anyone seeking a unique and memorable event.
Not as fun as I was expecting. Visited three beer dies and hung out in them.
Hi Lori, thank you for your feedback. You visited 3 great locations, one of them is the most iconic brewery in the United States. You also received a production tour of their large facility. People from all over the world come to see this brewery. The other 2 locations are favorites also, with wonderful feedback from other guests. You also received an added bonus on our tours - of Prohibition History and Stories - given by your tour guide/driver.
I had a GREAT time! Will definitely visit Lake Effect again! You can bring snacks on board . But save room for pretzels at Pilot Project, very tasty 1 is enough for 4 people.
Thank you Phyllis. We are glad you had a GREAT time! Lake Effect is one of our favorites also. We try to schedule our tours so at least one of the stops people can get a snack to go along with their tastings. We hope to see you again.
Very cool experience and the guide was superb! Very easy to get along with and knowledgeable. Nice tour of the city also.
Thank you for your review Nicole. We are happy you enjoyed your experience of visiting the different breweries and also of the city on The Barrel Bus and hope to see you again.
A lot of interesting history about craft brewing in Chicago shared partnered some good beers along the way
Thank you for your kind review Timothy. We actually have had people from the beer industry take our tours and they love it - especially being able to do it on our Barrel Bus! We hope to see you again on The Barrel Run.
It was good. The 3rd spot wasnt a brewery. The traffic route made it rushed at 2nd spot. The operator and bus were very entertaining. Overall good, but there are better experiences.
Thank you for your feedback Sam. The 3rd spot is in the district brew yards area and is one of the most favored places we go to. People call it like being a kid in a candy store, since you get to sample your own tastings from many options. Unfortunately, we can't control traffic and we are on a schedule with the locations we visit. We are sorry you felt rushed. However, you won't experience anywhere else being on a one-of-a-kind bus shaped like a barrel!
Great vehicle, great beers at all 3 stops. The tour guide was very personable as well as knowledgeable about the beers and brewers. A fun time!
Thank Grace. We appreciate your five star review and hope to see you again to take a ride on the iconic Barrel Bus!
Fun tour and our whole group had a wonderful time. Our operator was professional and very helpful. Only suggestion would be to give some history on the brewery you are visiting.
Hi Kitty. Thank you for your feedback. Our guides do give some insight about each location you will be visiting. Part of the experience our clients receive also include a ride on the iconic wooden Barrel Bus!
Great experience! Beer barrel was amazing and we made 3 Brewery stops. All of them were different and fun! They were very accommodating to our gluten free and pregnant family members. Highly recommend
Thank you for your kind review Pamela. We strive to accommodate all of our guests who book on The Barrel Run. We hope to see you and your family/friends again!
You will be visiting 3 breweries. The first one is a small brewery, special here their gin barrel-aged beer. Second one is a large brewery. Beers were good. This is where you can order food. They are very efficient and food is great. Third one is a botanical brewery. I did not like this one. This is not beer, just glorified sodas. Even the IPA I ordered was mediocre. Total waste of time. Good narrative on the Barrel Bus. Hope they'll come up with a better choice for their third brewery.
Thank you for your feedback Rita. The third brewery you visited is a fan favorite. They are recognized as Chicago's first botanic brewery, has consistently earned top honors, most notably being named the #1 Best Brewpub in America in the 2022 USA Today 10Best Readers' Choice Awards. They have ranked in the top 10 for best brewpub nearly every year since 2017. Our brewery stops also change from day to day. We are glad you enjoyed the Prohibition-Era and Chicago stories on the Bus.
